When we see color, our eyes perceive various wavelengths of light. Our eyes contain two types of cells or photoreceptors that allow us to process light and distinguish colors. There are two types of photoreceptors: rods and cones. Rods detect different light and dark sensitivities while cones detect colors when light is present. This explains why things look different in the dark. Each wavelength of light displays a different shade of color, reds have the longest wavelengths while blues have the shortest.

Color blindness, an often-misunderstood condition, means your eyes don’t see color the way they should. Though many people commonly associate the phrase color blindness with only seeing shades of black and white, that specific type of color blindness is rare. In fact, most patients with color blindness do see color, but in a much narrower range. So what exactly is color blindness?

What is Color Blindness?

Symptoms and Signs

The Signs and Symptoms Can Vary Depending on the Type of Color Vision Deficiency You Have. In Cases Where Color Vision is Inherited, the Signs May Not Be Obvious Until Someone Mentions It as You Have Always Seen Colors a Certain Way. However, in Cases Where Color Blindness is Acquired Later in Life, You May Notice a Shift in the Way You See Colors.

Common Symptoms of Color Blindness Can Include Having Trouble Distinguishing Colors and the Inability to Tell the Difference between Shades of the Same Color. In Severe Cases, a Person May Not See Any Color at All and Instead See Shades of Gray, This Type of Color Blindness is Known as Achromatopsia.

Diagnosis

If You Suspect You or Your Child May Have a Color Vision Deficiency, Your Optometrist Can Help With a Comprehensive Eye Exam and a Simple Color Vision Test. Typically, the Test Designed to Diagnose Patients With Color Blindness Consists of the Patient Distinguishing Patterns From Colored Dots. Patients With a Color Vision Deficiency Will Have a Hard Time Finding the Shape or Number in These Tests and May Not See a Pattern at All.